A much more successful continuation than Volume 19, as Akasaka relocates the precise level of tension that made previous Volumes so successful. There's something for everyone here: another Shirogane/Kaguya miscommunication, lots of movement on the Ishigami front, and Chika Fujiwara being a prima donna.
Mike Ino vs. Unrequited Love
A lot of pensive squirming about how it feels to love someone who is already in love with someone else. Specifically: how/if you should express your admiration for them, even though it can lead nowhere. It's mostly an excuse to double-down on Miko's attraction to Ishigami, thus cementing their storyline as finally free of the repeating behaviours of Volumes' past. There's a hint of how Ino's behaviour will only increase her misery in the long run, but for now this works to stir the pot ahead of Ishigami's burgeoning story with Tsubame. The least memorable part of the Volume, but still worth exploring. Also, Valentine's Day is surprisingly different for Japan it seems, given how the girls give guys chocolate, but seemingly not the other way around??? It's like the Bumble-ification of a national holiday.
The Student Council vs. Exams
Ishigami finally breaks the Top 50 threshold on his exams, and our power couple experience another classic miscommunication (feels like a while since that's happened in earnest, right?) Ishigami's stuff is obviously the most impactful on a macro story level - it being another pivotal step in his self-determination and growing confidence - but it's naturally hard to ignore the attention simultaneously given towards our two main characters. They're getting a little swallowed by the supporting cast as of late (which makes sense given how much of their central conflict has been resolved), so it's nice to see Akasaka find parts of their relationship that still bring out the overthinker in both of them. As delightful as it is to watch them finally put a lot of their anxieties behind them, I know there's a lot more juice left in that tank for this series to mine should it wish to go there, and I'm hoping that it takes the plunge in the time remaining.
Fujiwara vs. her own massive Ego
Fujiwara is the only character currently without a storyline attached to her. Admittedly, part of Fujiwara's power over the series is that she is too much of a wildcard to experience 'change' the same way the rest of the cast do, but even so, Akasaka seems to have been reluctant to involve her in the unfolding shenanigans. Still, she is the secret sauce that allows Love is War to operate as successfully as it has done, so I'm happy to check in on her and confirm that she's still as batshit as ever. Whilst everyone else works on their flaws, Fujiwara just keeps on trucking. In any other series, she would be a fairly reprehensible character, but I can't help but love her overinflated sense of self, tempered as it is with total sincerity. She's not a bully - she's just devilish!
Tsubame vs. Eight More Volumes
Part of the reason I find the Ino/Ishigami stuff slips through my fingers is because the series is so much more comfortable dedicating time to the other member of the love triangle: Tsubame. From her appearance, Akasaka has clearly had no trouble at all finding ways to bend the narrative towards her, and it seems to be reaching a culmination. There are too many Volumes remaining for me to believe that Ino isn't going to be the eventual endpoint of Ishigami's romance plot, but I'm invested enough in the Tsubame of it all to wonder how on Earth it will navigate it all.
Thoughts for next time:
Obviously, what is Tsubame going to say?
How drastically will Ishigami's life change now that the Truth is out?
Will Shirogane and Kaguya ever goof around without Ino mistaking it for a kink?